Method and means for securing vehicle roof covers



April 1937- F. J. WESTROPE ET AL 2,078,622 METHOb AND MEANS FOR SECURING VEHICLE ROOF COVERS Filed Jan. '26, 1935 INVENTORS.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FOR SECURING VEHICLE ROOF COVERS Fred J. Westrope and Ralph N. Miller, Detroit, Mich., assignors to The Murray Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application January 26, 1935, Serial No. 3,552

2 Claims. (Cl. 296-137) Our invention relates to vehicle bodies, and particularly to method and means for securing a top cover material. to the marginal edge of the metal panel defining a roof opening.

Difficulty has always been experienced heretofore in securing the top fabric material to the metal quarter panels which form the roof opening. Heretofore, tacking strips were secured to the panels and the cover material was tacked to the strip. A molding strip was then tacked over the tacks and cover material and a finish molding element secured to the molding strip to provide a finish thereto. A later advancement in the art of securing the cover material to the panels embodied the employment of a channel in the panels at the roof opening in which the cloth was drawn and retained by a resilient finish strip disposed in the channel.

In practicing our invention, we further ad- Vance the art of securing cloth material in a channel about the marginal edge of the panels defining a roof opening by employing suitable clips which stretch the cloth over a fiange disposed above the channel and retain it in position independent of the rubber sealing strip em-- ployed to form a finish between the cloth and the panels. A material saving inlabor results and the difiiculty experienced in drawing the cloth taut at the time the rubber strip was secured within the channel has been overcome. A suitable tool is employed for forcing the clips within the channel while drawing the material taut across the roof opening and the insertion of the rubber finish strip over the clips and cloth in the channel providesthe necessary finish to the assembly. While assistance is provided to the clips by the resilient finish strip in retaining the cloth in position, the stretching of the cloth and the forming of the cloth over the roof opening is effected by the clips when placed by the tool in the channel.

Accordingly, the main objects of our invention are: to provide a method and means for securing a cloth top over a roof opening in a vehicle body; to provide clips which secure the cloth in position relative to a channel at the marginal edge of the roof opening; to provide a finish strip which is disposed in the channel over the clips for assisting in retaining the cloth top material 50 in position and for providing a finish between the material and the panels; to provide a tool for applying the clips to the cloth top material and for drawing the material over the roof opening as it is secured in position; and, in general, to provide a method and means for securing a cloth top material over a roof opening which provides a material saving in labor, which positively retains the material in fixed relation to the metal panels and which provides a finish between the cloth material and the panels.

Other objects and features of novelty of our invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of our invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of an automobile body embodying features of our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2 2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of structure, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the method of securing the cloth material to the panels;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a securing element illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a modified form thereof;

Fig. 6 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, showing a further modified form thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view of the tool illustrated in Fig. 3 for inserting the clips in the channel.

We have illustrated in Fig. 1, a vehicle body H] which is made of metal having a cloth top H of water-proof top material disposed over a central roof opening I2 defined by the marginal. edges of body panels. A molding strip I 3 is illustrated as forming a finish between the fabric material II and the metal paneling H).

We have illustrated in Fig. 2, a section of the body In and the cloth material I I to the point of joinder therebetween. A rear quarter M of the body II! is illustrated as having an upwardly presented channel l5 preformed near its edge, the inner flange of the channel being extended at I6. A strip l1, embodying an upwardly presenting channel l8 therein for retaining a tacking strip I9, has a web portion 2| welded or otherwise secured to the flange l6 of the panel M. The inner edge of the web 2| is reversely bent at 22 and extended over the channel I5 to form a holding ledge for the cloth material II, as illustrated in r the figure.

Wire netting 23 and padding 24 conventionally employed in top constructions, are tacked to the strip l9 to form a continuation of the web 2| of the strip H. The cloth material II is then placed upon the padding 24 and over the chan- ..projecting.portion 22.

nel l5, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Suitable clips 25 are disposed at spaced intervals within the channel over the fabric material II which is drawn taut across the padding 24. The clips draw the material over the extending portion 22 of the web 2| and anchor it within the channel I5.

We have illustrated in Fig. 4, a clip 25 constructed from a piece of Wire which is bent in U-shape. The clip is further bent at sulostan tially right angles intermediate its ends, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. The clip forms' a clamp between the bottom corner of the channel l5 and the diagonally disposed corner formed by the side of the channel and the extending portion 22i and is so formed as to eliminate interference with the strip l3 which is to be disposedthereover. The

clamping action of the clips retains the cloth in firm fixed relation about the extending portion 22, locked in position relative to the panel l4. The clamps are spaced in the channel about'the edge of the panels defining the opening l2 and it is only necessary to force the body 26 of the finish strip l3 therein to provide a finish between the edge of the fabric material II and the panel M, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The body portion 23 of strip I3 is shouldered on one side to anchor under the projecting portion 22 of the web 2!. The body portion 26 offers some assistance in retaining the cloth material ll locked about the Lips are provided on the strip I3 for extending over the portion 22 and the panel edge to hide the channel and enhance the appearance of the assembly.

We have illustrated in Figs. 3 and 7, a tool 2? for securing the clip 25 in position. The tool is preferably made of magnetic material having a slot 28 extending .part Way from the clip-holding end. to form a magnet for retaining the clip in position on the endof the tool. The end of the tool is offset at 29, the end portion being of less width than the channel l5, so that it may be disposed within the channel. The tip of the tool is provided with a projecting end portion 3i about which the U-shaped end of the clip 25 is hooked and retained magnetically in position as the tool is manipulated to force the clip within thechannel it, as illustrated in Fig. 3. This operation causes the fabric material ll to be drawn taut across "the top and the clip 25 to be anchored within the channel. The tool is readily removed from the anchored clip and the operation repeated throughout the length of the channel. While we have illustrated the clip 25 as a separate element,

it is to be understood that the clips could be formed continuous, spaced at predetermined distances apart, and applied in the same manner by the tool 21 which would individually secure each projecting clip Within the channel l5. h

We have illustrated in Fig. 5, a clip 33 which is preferably made of spring material, such as clock spring. The clip 33 is bent at an angle to provide clearance for the body 26 of the stripl3 while providing a tension between the corner of the channel l5 and the corner formed by the side of the channel and the projection ledge 22, to clamp-theefabric'rnaterial II inposition. Suit able teeth 34 may be formed on one or both ends of the clip 33 to provide a more positive lock to prevent "the clips from being pulled out of the channel Hi.

- We have shownin- Fig. 6, a further form of clip 35, which is similar to the clip 33, with the exception that the upper end is arcuately bent back upon itself to be engaged and supported .by the end portion 35 of the tool 21.

The clip 33, illustrated in Fig. 5, is retained onthe tool solely by magnetism, while the clip 35 is provided with a hooked-end which is mechanically engaged by the tool as well as being supported thereon by magnetism. It is to be understood that the teeth 34 on the clip 33 may also be provided on the clip 35, illustrated in Fig. 6.

While We have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of our invention, it will be said channel;

2. A vehicle body construction having a sheet metal roof panel defining an opening in the roof thereof, said panel being preformed adjacent said roof opening to provide an outwardly presenting channel, a metal strip secured to'ithe edgeof said panel hayingone edge thereof projecting over said channel, said strip being performed to receive a tacking strip.

FRED J. WESTROPE. RALPH N. MILLER; 

